The Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet

Now, obviously there’s more to it than that, and that’s what I’m going to cover in great detail with this article today.

When you are following the Paleo Diet, you can eat anything we could hunt or gather way back in the day – things like meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies, and seeds.

Sorry, the pasta, cereal, and candy will have to go! Anything that didn’t exist in caveman times will not be existing on your plate or in your stomach.

And instead of counting calories and perfectly partitioned portions (say THAT three times fast), you’ll be focusing on eating the right foods instead.

And that makes me happy, because I hate counting calories. Maybe you do too.

I don’t like keeping track of how much I’ve eaten or obsessing over how many grams of a particular nutrient I’ve had. Not only do I hate counting calories, but I know that calories are really only half of the battle, as they’re not all created equal – 400 calories of Doritos do NOT have the same effect on your body as 400 calories of high-quality vegetables and protein.

Fortunately, if you can expand your horizons and remove certain types of food from your diet, you can stop worrying about counting calories FOREVER and instead focus on fixing your relationship with food.

Now, this article is SUPER long, so we took the liberty of converting it into a nicely designed guide for easy consumption (not literal consumption, unless you print it on bacon).

Grab your Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet free when you sign up in the box below:

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Discover if Paleo is for you

The one simple trick to know if your food is Paleo-friendly

Easy Paleo recipes for beginners to get you started

If you are interested in learning more about the diet, and want to learn how to successfully implement it, we got you covered!This diet does have a ton of pitfalls and challenges that you’ll encounter as you start to change your life, and most people give up on the Paleo Diet within a few days!

So let’s dig in.

The Paleo Diet doesn’t require counting a single calorie AND it allows you to eat until you’re full and happy.

Oh, and it can help you lose weight, build muscle, and get in the best shape of your life.

I know, that sounds like an ad for some really shady supplement or diet book that you’d see on TV at 4 AM.

But you need to do it right. You need to have the right mindset, you need to focus on the right foods, and structure your environment so that you’re not tempted to backslide and abandon the Diet after a few days.

Ready? LET’S GOOOOOOO!

So how does the Paleo Diet work?

Oh lord, another “diet.”

I know, it sounds like a fad/marketing ploy, but The Paleo Diet isn’t really a “diet,” and it’s actually quite legit. It’s also the most time-tested diet ever.

You see, tens of thousands of years ago, before Nike, Cap’n Crunch, and Healthy Choice meals, our ancient ancestors thrived as hunter-gatherers.

Although it’s been a really long time, our genetics haven’t changed that much since then. And yet…

The average Homo Sapien back then: muscular, agile, athletic, and incredibly versatile.

The average Homo Sapien now: overweight, out of shape, stressed out, unhappy, sleep deprived and dying from far too many preventable diseases due due to lifestyle choices.

So what the hell happened? Agriculture!

A few thousand years ago, humans discovered farming, the agricultural revolution took off, and we advanced from hunter-gatherers to farmers. We settled down, formed societies, and the human race progressed to what we are today. Which is obviously great for a number of reasons (air conditioning! Nintendo! cars!)

The problem is, our bodies never adjusted properly to eating all the grains and sugar that we we’re now consuming.

As paleo guru Robb Wolf puts it, think of a 100-yard football field. The first 99.5 yards are how long Homo-Sapiens spent as hunter-gatherers. As they became REALLY good at hunting and gathering our bodies adapted to that lifestyle over thousands of years. That last half-yard represents our species after the agricultural revolution, where our diet has shifted (but our genetics haven’t).

So, instead of loading up on meat, vegetables and seasonal fruits, we’ve become a species “dependent” upon grains – bread, pasta, rice, corn, and so on. The government continues to recommend 6-11 servings of grains a day, and people continue to get fatter and fatter by the day.

66% of us are overweight, 33% are considered obese, and those numbers are only getting worse [1] .

Clearly something’s not right, and we need to fix it.

The Paleo Diet is an effort to go back to eating how we’re biologically designed to eat, allowing us to tap into our genetic potential and start living healthier immediately.

WTF is the Paleo Diet?

Back in the day, grains weren’t part of our diet.

When we (over)consume grains regularly, our bodies take those grains, which are composed of carbohydrates, and those carbs get turned into sugar in our system.

That sugar is then either burned as energy or stored as fat. That’s right: the grains you’re consuming are stored as fat in your body and they’re what most Paleo experts believe are the main culprit in why you’re overweight.

So, rather than me explain that part with thousands of words, just watch this three-minute video – “Why You Got Fat“

Next, most grains contain gluten and lectins. What are they and what’s wrong with them? I’m so glad you asked:

Gluten is a protein found in things like rye, wheat, and barley. It’s now being said that much of our population may be gluten-intolerant (hence all the new “gluten-free!” items popping up everywhere). Over time, those who are gluten intolerant can develop a dismal array of medical conditions from consuming gluten: dermatitis, joint pain, reproductive problems, acid reflux, and more.[2]

Lectins are natural toxins exist within grains to defend against consumption! Yup. Grains have evolved to keep themselves from being eaten by us. These lectins are not a fan of our gastrointestinal tract, prevent the tract from repairing itself from normal wear and tear. This can cause all kinds of damage.

Long story short: our bodies don’t process grains well, and they are causing a boatload of problems.

The Paleo Diet also almost completely eradicates sugar. Unless you’re getting your sugar from a fruit, forget it. Sugar causes an energy spike and crash in your system, turns to fat unless it’s used immediately, and wreaks all kind of havoc on our bodies.

So, no grains, no sugar, no processed foods. Whether you’re talking about the paleo diet or not, many studies have shown that an incredible number of diseases and lifestyle issues can be reversed with these three simple changes.[3]

But where’s my energy?

So, if we’re not eating 300+ grams of carbs every day, where are we supposed to get our energy from?

Our bodies are designed to operate on a lower amount of carbohydrates than what we’re used to eating, so less carbs isn’t an issue once you re-train your body to process the food you’re eating.

When there is an absence of carbs (which is how we’re USED to operating), our body will take stored fat and burn THAT for energy in a process called ketogenesis.

What I’m trying to tell you is that our bodies are pretty effin’ efficient.

So, less carbs = less glucose in your system, which means your body will have to start burning fat as your fuel source. In other words, decreased fat storage and decreased body fat percentage and increased good-lookingness. Win!

So, all carbs are bad?

Nope.

Carbs still serve a purpose in our diets, but they’re not essential [4].

I prefer to get my carbs from vegetables, sweet potatoes, and fruit. Why is that? These foods are naturally occurring in the wild and don’t need to be processed in any way (unlike grains) in order to be consumed.

The other great thing about vegetables is that they’re incredibly nutrient dense and calorie light – six full servings of broccoli (and who would eat 6 servings at once?) has 180 calories and 36 grams of carbs. A single serving of pasta (and NOBODY eats just one serving of pasta) has 200 calories and 42 grams of carbs.

Now, eating paleo does not automatically mean that you are doing a ketogenic diet (no carb) or a low-carb diet.

However, even if you have a serving of sweet potato (26g per 1 cup serving) with every meal, it’s likely a lot lower in carbs than you’re used to having.

We do recommend keeping your carb content low – loading up on buckets of fruit is technically Paleo, but can result in a ton of carbs and sugar consumed (and thus, fat gain. Fail).

I’ll cover that more below too, as it’s one of the pitfalls to avoid with successfully going paleo. If you’re worried about adherence to the diet, I understand – it’s the toughest part of Paleo – sticking with it!

If you want help getting through your first few weeks of Paleo, and you’re somebody that wants to slowly change your diet, we built a 10-level system that helps you fix your diet – level up as you get more comfortable with your food choices!

Grab our 10-Level Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, along with our Paleo Beginner Guide, when you sign up in the box below:

Get the FREE eBook! The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Paleo!

Discover if Paleo is for you

The one simple trick to know if your food is Paleo-friendly

Easy Paleo recipes for beginners to get you started

What about dairy?

Dairy’s a tough one, as most Paleo folks tend to stay away from it – a portion of the world is lactose intolerant, and those that aren’t usually have at least some type of an aversion to it.

Why is that? Because no other animal in the entire kingdom drinks milk beyond infancy.

Hunter-gatherers didn’t lug cows around with them while traveling – milk was consumed as a baby, and that was it. As with grains, our bodies weren’t designed for massive dairy consumption.

There is evidence that some adaptation to dairy has taken place throughout the years, specifically with people with ancestry in herding cultures, but this is not the majority of the population [5] .

So, this is one that Paleo purists will avoid like the plague, while others have found that consuming dairy in its various forms work for their genetics, goals, and lifestyle.

If you’re not sure, remove dairy from your diet and only introduce it back in when you’re ready to see how your body responds.

So no grains, no dairy: what DO I get to eat on this diet?

Okay, so if we cut out the grains, almost all processed foods, and dairy, you’re left with only things that occur naturally:

Meat – GRASS-FED*, not grain-fed. Grain causes the same problem in animals as they do in humans.

Fish – Wild fish, as mercury and other toxins can be an issue in farmed fish

Eggs – Look for omega-3 enriched cage free eggs.

Vegetables – As long as they’re not deep-fried, eat as many as you want.

Oils – Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil – think natural.

Fruits – Have natural sugar, and can be higher in calories, so limit if you’re trying to lose weight.

Nuts – High in calories, so they’re good for a snack, but don’t eat bags and bags of them.

Tubers – Sweet potatoes and yams. Higher in calories and carbs, so these are good for right after a workout to replenish your glycogen levels.

*If you can only afford grain-fed meat, that’s still better than grains. Do the best you can with your situation!

Steak with asparagus and sweet potato fries, grilled chicken salad, massive omelets that will fill you up for the whole morning, apples dipped in almond butter (my favorite snack ever), and so on. Pick any of the things from that list, and eat as much as you want of them (with the noted exceptions). You’ll feel better and be healthier.

How come I won’t get fat?

Because these foods are so nutritious and filling, you’ll be eating satiating foods that fill you up but are not carb-calorie dense.

To get the equal number of calories from a bag of Doritos or bread (which, as you know, you can eat all day long and never really feel full), you’d have to eat 2-3 Mack trucks full of broccoli and spinach.

Okay, that’s clearly an over-exaggeration, but you get the point.

A GIANT plate of vegetables and a reasonable portion of meat can keep you full for hours, while eating carb-heavy foods can result in being hungry again soon after.

Whenever I need to lose weight for vacation, I go 100% Paleo and I can drop a few body fat percentage points in a few weeks (while combining it with strength training and interval running).

As I said above, you can definitely do The Paleo Diet WRONG. If you are “full paleo” but just eating nuts and fruit, you could theoretically still be eating thousands of calories, hundreds of grams of carbs/sugar.

But I can’t give up my muffin, pasta, bagel, pizza, and bread!

Okay then, don’t try the Paleo Diet! Simple as that.

I hear you. Because bread is amazing. And so is candy. And soda. These things are designed to be as delicious as possible.

But they don’t have a place in the Paleo Diet, so you have to decide what’s important to you right now.

If you’re happy with how you look, your energy levels are good all day, and you don’t see any room for improvement, then keep doing what you’re doing – I won’t force you to eat like this.

However, if you’ve been struggling with weight loss, have no energy throughout the day, need eight cups of coffee, hate counting calories, and want to start turning your life around today, why not give it a shot for 30 days?

TRY IT: If after 30 days you haven’t noticed a marked improvement in your quest for a better life, then go back to the donuts. It’s important to give yourself a full 30 days before passing judgment. Your body has to adjust from fueling itself on carbs and sugar to burning your stored fat for energy, which can take a few weeks.

If you’re not willing to cut out grains from your diet completely, just work on MINIMIZING those foods gradually and see how your body adjusts.

Slow transitions are often much easier to handle over the long-term; the more you can shift your diet closer to Paleo principles, the faster you’ll start to see results.

In fact, we’ve actually built a 10-level diet system as part of Nerd Fitness that slowly transitions somebody into a more Paleo-type lifestyle, because we know the biggest problem with this stuff is

When you sign up in the box below, we’ll send you both the 10-level Nerd Fitness Diet cheat sheet AND the Beginner Paleo Guide so you can cut through the confusion and start fixing your health today.

The biggest problem with the Paleo Diet is actually STICKING WITH IT, so we built this course with that fatal flaw in mind, and have helped like 40,000+ students slowly transition to a Paleo Diet (if they decide it works for them) and help them stay on target.

How much should I eat of each nutrient?

Keep it simple: Try to get a really good protein source with each meal (eggs, steak, chicken, fish, pork) with each meal along with some vegetables. That’s it.

If you’re feeling tired all the time, try adding some salt to your food. Going from a processed, high sodium diet to a paleo diet you will very often end up eating too little sodium, which is an essential nutrient.

As stated above, fruit does have quite a bit of sugar in it, and nuts have quite a few calories, so if you are following the Paleo Diet but not losing weight, check your fruit and nut consumption and see if you are loading up on those at the expense of vegetables and healthy protein.

What I’m trying to say is this: fat and protein should make up a big percentage of your diet.

Baaaaack up: I thought fat made you fat?

Pooooooor fat. It’s gotten a bad rap over the past number of decades, so companies have been doing everything possible to make everything low fat and “healthy!” (while adding all sorts of preservatives, chemicals, and sugar).

Yup…cut out the fat, increase the carbs….and look where THAT has gotten us.

Why has fat been vilified? Rather than get into the politics of it myself, I’ll let Gary Taubes, author of the incredibly thorough and well-researched Good Calories, Bad Calories take over.

As he discusses in article he wrote for the New York Times a decade ago [6]:

These researchers point out that there are plenty of reasons to suggest that the low-fat-is-good-health hypothesis has now effectively failed the test of time. In particular, that we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic that started around the early 1980’s, and that this was coincident with the rise of the low-fat dogma. (Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, also rose significantly through this period.)

They say that low-fat weight-loss diets have proved in clinical trials and real life to be dismal failures, and that on top of it all, the percentage of fat in the American diet has been decreasing for two decades. Our cholesterol levels have been declining, and we have been smoking less, and yet the incidence of heart disease has not declined as would be expected. ”That is very disconcerting,” Willett says. ”It suggests that something else bad is happening.”

Healthy fats are valuable additions to our diet. “Low fat” foods were created to follow conventional wisdom that fat made you fat (which as stated in the above article doesn’t stand up to scrutiny).

Now, when a company makes a low fat food, they remove the fat and have to replace the flavor with something. That “something” is usually sugar. Which gets stored as fat in our bodies. Crap.

So, fat is not the enemy. According to Taubes and Paleo folks, it has been vilified and the real focus should have been on sugar and carbs all along.

And thus in the Paleo Diet, fat makes up a large portion of one’s diet.

Do I need to eat every 3 hours?

Nope. Eat when you’re hungry, don’t eat when you’re not.

Going again back to our evolutionary history, we didn’t always have the luxury of going to a vending machine or drive-through window to pick up food. Sometimes we’d go all day long, or even days at a time, without finding any food. Luckily, we’re designed to use our excess fat stores as energy in these situations.

Don’t worry about eating every three hours.

In fact, I’d recommend NOT eating all of the time, and instead focus on eating full meals!

Sometimes, it’s even okay to skip a meal or two, as long as you don’t go berserk and eat 7 pizzas because you’re so hungry afterward.

Don’t worry about hitting a specific amount of calories each day. If you’re not hungry, don’t eat.

What are the criticisms of this diet?

The main criticism that I continue to come across is that it’s “fear mongering” and vilifying grains in the same way that fats have been vilified.

If you really want to drive yourself mad, go read a mainstream article that’s either pro or against the Paleo Diet. In the comments, you’ll find a bunch of dietitians yelling back and forth at each other citing different studies and sources and then calling each other wackjobs.

So, disregarding the fear mongering and dogma surrounding the diets, what are the ACTUAL critiques of the Paleo Diet?

#1) If you’re not careful, this type of diet can get expensive. But as we know, with a little research, we can make eating healthy incredibly affordable. Admittedly, while I recommend eating organic fruits and veggies, free range chicken, and grass-fed beef whenever possible, these products can be a bit more expensive in conventional stores due to the processes needed to get them there.

However, farmers’ markets often have well-priced meats, eggs, fruits, and vegetables that are locally grown and incredibly healthy. Even if you’re spending a little more money than before, when you factor in your overall health, spending a few extra bucks on healthier food now is a wiser investment than thousands later on costly medical expenses.

Also, if you’re really short on cash, eating the non organic or grass fed version of a meat, vegetable, or eggs is still better than eating breads, pasta, fast food, and the like.

Most people simply compare the cost of a paleo meal with ramen noodles or pasta and bread and determine Paleo is prohibitively expensive. Sure, it’s more expensive than those foods, but if you are smart with your money you can eat a much healthier meal and do so pretty inexpensively.

#2) It’s difficult (though getting easier) to eat Paleo in today’s society! A normal breakfast in the US consists of bagels, muffins, toast, cereal, or donuts. NONE of those things have any nutritional value, they’re loaded with tons of carbs and calories, and are composed of processed grains that can jack up your stomach.

Eating out at restaurants can get tough too, and “paleo-approved” is not something you’ll usually find on a menu. Eating in this manner requires careful planning and tons of willpower, but it can be done if you’re dedicated.

#3) “But cavemen had short lifespans! Of course they don’t have the diseases we do. We live way longer now” – I agree with you here, but only because you don’t have to deal with the dangers of living back then. Give those hunter-gatherers access to modern technology and medicine and I bet their lifespan would easily surpass ours.

#4) “But what about the books and people that say “we’re not designed to eat grains” is garbage” – that plenty of societies around the world consume grains and aren’t fat and unhealthy like us.

The China Study is frequently cited when criticizing the Paleo Diet – focusing on a vegetarian diet and consuming rice is healthier than the Paleo Diet. I respectfully disagree with that nutritional philosophy and strongly disagree with the conclusions drawn from that book [7], and will leave you to make your own conclusions based on your own self-experimentation.

You’re here to learn about the Paleo Diet though, so let’s keep the focus there

#5 “But this is just a meat diet, and eating all meat is bad!” First of all, consider your sources and do your research before jumping to the conclusions.

Next, this is not an all meat diet or uber-low carb diet like Atkins. The biggest component of the Paleo Diet? Vegetables! Every meal in a true Paleo diet has a moderate amount of healthy (properly raised chicken, grass-fed beef, hormone free, etc.) meat combined with nutritious veggies or a moderate amount of fruit.

#6 “The Paleo Diet is too restrictive and I can’t live like this.” This is the most valid criticism I personally have of the diet, as the best diet plan is the one you actually stick with and follow through on! The goal shouldn’t be to go “full paleo” for a few weeks only to go back to how you were eating before.

Instead, the goal here should be to rethink your relationship with food and develop a strategy that you can live with Permanently. This is the strategy we employee with the 10-level diet system in the Nerd Fitness Academy – the focus is on slowly changing one’s diet and sticking with it for years rather than going “ALL IN!” and giving up a few days or weeks later.

You can also download our 10-level NF Diet Cheat Sheet so you can started today slowly changing your relationship with food and get healthier and happier, permanently. Grab it (and our Paleo Guide) when you sign up in the box below:

Get the FREE eBook! The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Paleo!

Discover if Paleo is for you

The one simple trick to know if your food is Paleo-friendly

Easy Paleo recipes for beginners to get you started

Meh, I’m still not convinced.

The human body is so incredibly complex that I doubt we’ll ever have a definitive answer on the best possible diet. This one might sound like a fad to you, or it’s too restrictive, complicated, etc.

If you’ve read this far, I assume you’re considering giving it a shot.

Take 30 days and give it a shot – cut out the grains and dairy, start eating more vegetables and fruits, eat more humanely raised and non-grain fed meat, cut out the liquid calories and sugar, and see how you feel after the month is up. If you’re analytical and want numbers to use in your final verdict, get your blood work done at the beginning and end of the month.

Take a picture of yourself now, and then another 30 days from now. I bet you’ll be surprised with how your body transforms. I hope that AFTER those 30 days you’ll have adopted some of the principles, noted how much better you feel, and continue to live with an improved relationship with food.

What does Steve think about the diet?

I’m a fan of the Paleo Diet because it makes logical sense to me.

I know we existed as a species 150,000 years ago, I know the agricultural revolution didn’t happen until 10,000 years ago, which means we had 140,000 years without grains. In that time we learned to thrive as a species without grains (or else we wouldn’t be here).

The other reason I’m a fan is because you can eat what you want (provided it’s paleo), when you want, and eat however much of it you like. There are black and white rules to follow,

Eat a huge breakfast, skip lunch, and a big dinner. Eat a small breakfast, two snacks, and then dinner.

Do whatever makes you happy and fits in your schedule. I like this kind of stress-free eating.

Regardless of whether or not grains should be vilified, I love this diet because I know it WORKS. I know people that have lost incredible amounts of weight and changed their lives within a matter of months.

Regardless of how you feel about grains, we can all agree that eating more natural foods and less processed foods is better for you.

Where can I get even more info?

If you’re looking to read more about the Paleo Diet, I got you covered.

For starters, I’ve seen thousands of people succeed with a Paleo Diet, and I’ve seen countless thousands more FAIL with the Paleo Diet?

What’s the difference? The strategy they’ve implemented to follow through on it! Sure, some people can completely overhaul their diet and go “cold turkey” on giving up processed foods, grains, and sugar, and never look back.

Most people however try to completely overhaul their diet instantly, their body hates them, and they quickly abandon Paleo principles and think it’s not for them.

I believe in a different approach, and that’s having a strategic blueprint to follow that allows you to SLOWLY adapt your diet in specific ways so that your body adjusts comfortably to a new lifestyle.

At the same time, I know there are a million questions to ask about the Paleo Diet, how to adapt it to a busy lifestyle, what to do if you’re a paleo parent and have picky eaters in your family, or how to stay on track when everybody around you still wants to eat non-paleo foods.

These are the specific problems we’ve set out to solve, and have helped 30,000+ students transform their diet in The Nerd Fitness Academy – it includes a 10-level diet system with ‘boss battles’ between each level so you know when you can ‘level up’ and adjust your diet.

Small, non-scary, tweaks to your nutritional strategy, specific meal plans to follow, and a supportive community to help you implement these changes in your life, even if you’re busy!

Now, even if you can’t check out the NF Academy yet, we have plenty of other resources here at Nerd Fitness including recipes that are paleo or paleo-ish to get you started!

Easing Into It

Maybe you’re ready to try out this Paleo lifestyle, but you can’t commit fully. There are certain foods you refuse to give up, or you can’t afford to buy grass-fed beef at the moment.

That’s okay!

If you can even make a few small changes here and there (cut out liquid calories, switch out your rice for steamed vegetables, cut back on bread, etc.) you’ll start to see some changes.

Remember, 20% healthier is better than 0% healthier – as you get more comfortable with the changes you can increase that percentage.

You can also follow our favorite strategy. After all, I know how tough it is to stay loyal to a strict diet, especially without a plan to follow. It’s why we created free resources that can help you reach your goals faster without you also going crazy.

In addition to our Beginner Paleo Guide, I want to share with you our 10-Level NF Diet cheat sheet.

This nutritional leveling system will allow you to slowwwwwly change your diet and lose weight and get healthy, permanently. No crash dieting! No going all in and giving up a few weeks later. Permanent progress.

You can grab these guides and bonuses as a thanks from us for joining the Nerd Fitness Rebellion when you sign up in the box below:

Get the FREE eBook! The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Paleo!

Discover if Paleo is for you

The one simple trick to know if your food is Paleo-friendly

Easy Paleo recipes for beginners to get you started

Get rid of the temptation – if you’re gonna go at this thing with a full head of steam, remove all the junk food from your house. It’s going to take a few weeks for your body to adjust to burning fat instead of glucose, and you might want to eat poorly here and there. If there’s no food in your house to tempt you, it will be much easier to stay on target.

Now, it’s your turn.

Have you tried the Paleo Diet yet?

What was your experience like? Have a criticism of the diet that I didn’t cover before? Do you have another paleo recipe resource?

I hope this article gives you some food for thought (terrible pun, I know), and gives you the permission to question conventional wisdom and start addressing the issues in your diet!

Now, go forth. And eat like a caveman.

-Steve

PS: I’ll leave you with one final mention of the Nerd Fitness Academy – it essentially gamifies your experience in transitioning into a Paleo lifestyle and diet, and provides you with specific instruction, meal plans, workouts, and a supportive community.

I just started the Palo diet (it’s been 2 days) and I am reading a lot of the do’s and don’ts. I’m excited to see and feel a difference with this diet.
I am a heavy coffee drinker and would like to know what is acceptable on the Palo diet. Also, my husband is a milk lover and consumes 3-4 gallons a week- what do you recommend? Thanks- Michele

Leon Aldrich

I’ve completed Adkins successfully in the past (very hard core), giving up one of my loves coffee with her evil twins sugar & creamer. Around two weeks and definitely within four weeks, my sweet tooth went into hibernation. Lost 35 lbs by walking an hour and Adkins.

A friend got me started with weight lifting cardio. What an eye opener to a way to get healthy by building muscle sensibly. And Paleo, while not Adkins, is a close kin. Luckily for me giving up coffee/sugar/creamer (bye bye Starbucks) is easy.

https://mcbrydemats.com/ McBryde Mats

Great article!, thanks for the free guide!!

Kris

Same here.. I purchased it.. Got a charge before the product arrived and was told that you get 14days from purchase, but the product took 1 month to arrive.. Such a scam..

cinder1freq4n3ella

Sweet potatoes make me gag.

glennk

I haven’t eaten beef, pork ,lamb for 45 yrs. I don’t think I’ll start again now at 67

glennk

Yes, you also need to get a club and some hides and live in a cave, no cell ph. the cave guys used smoke signals, maybe. Oh and no smoking either, though they did eat magic mushrooms.. The part about Paleo diets not having any grains is BS. The humans of that era picked wild grains and eat them we know this from remains of these grains found in their fire pits. So, lets say that the Paleo diet’s archaeology is not exactly up to snuff. Now it’s true they weren’t agriculturalists, but they ate everything and anything that didn’t kill them.

glennk

party pooper, but how about magic mushrooms and peyote?

glennk

Dr. Oz is conman.

glennk

OZ was paid millions to promote this fake cure and wt. loss food. he’s a phony and and a con man selling snake oil for BIG $$ Soul less bastard probably works for tRUMP as well. These guys travel in packs like the hyenas they are ( apologies to hyenas.)

The archaeology for this diet is faulty and incomplete to say the least. We also know from the examination of Paleo era fire pits remains that cave folks ate wild grains and veggies as well as lots of different tubers depending on where you lived on the planet.

Laurie Malliett

I have low blood sugar how does that factor in?

Chumani Charlie

I just have one question, is it okay if one uses mass gainers and/or whey protein shakes as part of the paleo diet ? considering both forementioned products are highly processed ? Because I have no problem with the diet itself but then i am just torn when it comes to these teo products. Confused rather.

Chumani Charlie

I just have one question, is it okay if one uses mass gainers and/or whey protein shakes as part of the paleo diet ? considering both forementioned products are highly processed ? Because I have no problem with the diet itself but then i am just torn when it comes to these two products. Confused rather

Carolyn

Can i drink coffee

https://mcbrydemats.com/ McBryde Mats

Great article, Paleo is an awesome diet strategy, works well for me.

James Oldfield

But I like grains! I like crisps (chips if you’re American)! I don’t like vegetables!

James Oldfield

I don’t recommend coffee because of caffeine dependence. Like any drug, caffeine can cause dependence and withdrawal if you come off it.

Massiel Valenzuela

Does this inlclude all types of oatmeal? Even steel cut? Thanks!

Dd HiroP

Stupid idea really. Just because humans survived on it ages ago doesn’t mean it was great. Life expectancy was too short to really have any evidence of the diet being good for a long life, and the reason everyone was more fit is because being hunters meant they were active during most of the day almost every day. The diet isn’t the issue in most people it is the lack of exercise. Sitting behind the computer feeling good about eating a diet won’t make you slimmer or more muscular. Eating a balanced diet (no need for counting calories or whatever, just don’t go overboard with the food) and exercising regularly will have you slimmer and more muscular.

Summer Stewart

I really love this article. We are a family that are 90% vegan and 10% paleo. In other terms, we just don’t eat very much meat. I like that you note this isn’t a “meat” diet because many Paleo followers that I know are constantly eating animal products all day every day, but our bodies weren’t built to consume so much meat. Think about it…if Paleo is a hark back to our ancestors, then meat is a small component (cavemen weren’t so lucky as to have a Safeway right around the corner…) of the lifestyle.

We do eat oats and haven’t had any health issues. Actually, we never get sick. Not even my school-aged child who is constantly around booger-dripping, thumb-sucking children. Ew.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this article. Thanks.

beans

You need fibre!
we WOULD naturally eat the wild relatives of grains.

modern hunter gatherer people DO eat whole wild grains. their digestive systems mucous membrane is much thicker than any modern westerners.

also their gut microbes produce a wide range of chemicals which are essential to the functioning of the human body. In particular, a healthy gut microbiome prevents several types of cancer.

wild whole grains were mostly protein and fibre whereas modern varieties have been bred so the least nutritious part of the seed is very large.

How did it work out for you? I know your post was 6 years ago but still!

CocoLena

Once a caveman always a caveman

CocoLena

That sucks, did you get your money back?

Denny_Lilly1

Glad you got your money back Barbara. Stay away from those snake oil supplements that promise the world but never deliver.

Take the advice on this page and go Paleo. It’s the best way to lose weight and keep it off for good. You just have to be creative and keep it tasty so it doesn’t even feel like a diet. Check out the Paleo Snacks Book The recipes are absolutely amazing. The snacks in between meals are usually the culprit for weight gain and they are guilt-free 🙂

Once you detox your body of all that unhealthy stuff, you will never look back and you will want to eat only healthy. I add cottage cheese and also do some fermented foods likes sauerkraut to give my gut an extra boot. Start the kids early on it as well. Only grass fed, organic if you eat meat and organic fruits and veggies. You can pay the doctor OR you can pay your farmer! Thank you for all the good info here.

reginabee

A glass of red wine, doesn’t that count as fruit?

jackie

Great breakdown on the Paleo diet. I’m considering this lifestyle and I’m looking forward to doing more research.

Pat Singer

Interesting. Unfortunately I love my organic oats. 1/3 cup each morning with plain yogurt, nuts and wild berries. Anyway, I don’t see anything about beans – a veg, I guess. I like beans of all sorts so was wondering if they were considered a veg in the Paleo diet?

Steve

Didn’t cavemen have an average lifespan of 30 years?? 😕

Ennui

Meh, I love whole grains like quinoa and eating an actual serving size of pasta or oatmeal is wonderful for my lifestyle. As a vegetarian I’ll never understand paleo, I say: everything(that you want to eat) in moderation.

Ennui

Probably, but not only due to diet–modern medicine, a lack of hygiene and…dangerous living conditions.

There is no doubt that paleo diets are extremely effective as i’ve lost around 65 lbs in about a year and half. However, I really can’t emphasise the importance on getting a sustainable long term paleo diet plan that is not gonna have bad effects on your health. The best paleo diet cookbook & paleo diet regime I have used can be seen at

More and more people are recognising the relationship between diet and emotional health. Scientific studies have identified nutrients in certain foods believed to have a dramatic effect in fighting low level depression and mental sluggishness caused by unhealthy, highly processed foods. Alexandra Massey and Anita Bean have devised an invaluable guide to changing the way you feel by changing what you put on your plate. As well as exploring the links between lifestyle, diet and disposition, they provide 10 depression-busting superfoods,http://www.ebook3k.com/cooking-diets/1415-superfoods-to-boost-your-mood-foods-that-fight-depression.html
plus three separate 7-day eating plans to beat the blues and boost your immune system. Their alternatives to high fat, salty and sugary processed meals will help you combat fatigue, anxiety, stress and depression and change your life and your relationship with food.

http://situsdokterherbal.com Mo No

Healthy is beautiful, but the change is very sulit.jagalah your health

http://www.anabolichealth.com/ Alex – Anabolic Health

Nice article!

I think the key take aways with the Paleo diet is to get away from all the unnatural foods we have in our diet like grains, dairy and sugars.

Also to live in periods of ketosis like hunter gatherer societies did. It was not always easy to find food hence during times these people where experiencing ketosis which means that your body converts fat (body fat also) into ketones, which can acts as an alternative fuel when there is a lack of carbohydrates or food in general.

Ketogenic diets have been used as a natural treatment for epilepsy since the early 1900s. This is because it enhances GABA in the brain which can also be helpful to lower anxiety, depression and stress levels. Read more about the amazing benefits of ketogenic diets here:

What if we replace regular dairy milk with Almond or Soy milk? Is that acceptable?

Anita Kraack

I have fibromyalgia and most of my support group are on a gluten free diet, but the Paleo diet seems doable.My only problem is soda.With FM we are sensitive to milk and grains,Also some of the meds for FM cause weight gain and exercising causes more pain than we’re already in.Not to say carrying extra weight.Your article was very educational and easy to understand.Thank you.

There is definitely a diet for everyone and paleo might not be for everyone but it does have its results. Sounds pretty healthy to me, i might have to give it a go. But im not going as far as saying i wont give in to some good ol’ wholesome gluten, mmm loves mes somes gluten.

miranda

I love rereading this. I can’t quite get rid of milk but I drink 1 cup max a day. Never been big on pasta and other stuff. plus I am gluten intolerant so bye bye baked goods anyways. As for the rest I love steamed veggies and marinated meats. I love eggs and bacon in the morning with a nice tea and I love eating berries and cherry tomatoes and fresh veggies. The hardest part for me for now is just eating when I am hungry. I tend to eat when I am bored… I have been a month eating healthier and sweets just don’t taste good anymore. They are too sweet. Well anyways. I love going back to this every once in a while and rereading my favorite post on this site. They are really helpful when I am confused or just need hard facts to make it easier.

Glenda Attwood

I did Paleo for 6 weeks and lost 5kg…had loads more energy,never felt hungry (fab) my skin was better. I’m 52 years old (female) and work full-time with under 3 year olds. I’ve battled with my weight since i was born …spent hundreds on diet pills..food etc.Maybe not for everybody but sure as hell helped me…Doing the once a week day off suits me fine. I don’t find it expensive. Great i love it !! 🙂